"The U.S. government
must understand that while NRA lobbyists may have tremendous influence in the
corridors of Washington, the potential for drug-traffickers armed to-the-teeth with weapons obtained from U.S. gun merchants to transform the west into a land of kidnappings and drugs must carry far more weight. … The arrival
in Mexico of Clinton and Obama will be much more than a gesture: it will
represent an enormous step forward in the tone and interest of the U.S. toward
Mexico."

I said in this space a couple of
weeks ago that the attitude of the United States government in regard to the
violence in its border with Mexico would change when the blood began to flow -
not only in the streets of Ciudad Juarez, but in Phoenix. And so it has. The alarming data on the increase in kidnappings in Arizona and the obvious invasion of the southwestern U.S. states by Mexican narco-traffickers have given U.S. legislators something to think about.

Tuesday's
hearing at the U.S. Senate in Washington [video below] should be a milestone in the history
of the anti-narcotics struggle for both countries. The vehemence with which
General Victor Renuart, commander of the United States Northern Command, and
Anthony Placido, the DEA chief of intelligence, spoke was a good sign. Now they
must translate words into deeds. The U.S. government
must understand that while NRA lobbyists may have tremendous influence in the
corridors of Washington, the potential for drug-traffickers armed to-the-teeth with weapons obtained from American gun merchants to transform the west into a land of kidnappings and drugs must carry far more weight. In the
meantime, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is close to announcing
the deployment of a small contingent of 36 agents to join 200 others already
working to keep a closer eye on U.S. gun shops openly frequented by the Mexican
cartels.

The problem of course is that this is still a very small number
of agents given the over 6,000 gun shops. But the audience [those in the
corridors of power] is a step ahead; a case in point being Senators Durbin and
Feinstein. This progress is just in time because the situation on the border is
explosive. For example, the Police of Cuidad Juarez are no longer civilians -
they are under military control. Such is the magnitude of the problem - which
is why Mexico needs the United States to pursue a policy that is supportive and
clear.

For now, the first step is clearer than the second. In the coming
weeks, those in the top echelons of the U.S. government will come to Mexico,
including Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano; Attorney General
Eric Holder; and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. And of course, Barack
Obama himself is coming. The differences between this and the last U.S. administration
are obvious. With Bush Administration visits, when there were any, we saw people
responsible for border security but no one involved with diplomacy. The arrival
in Mexico of Clinton and Obama will be much more than a gesture: it will
represent an enormous step forward in the tone and interest of the United
States toward Mexico.

It remains to be seen if both countries can translate this
renewed spirit of collaboration into an authentic working relationship, and,
perhaps more importantly, into a détente [relaxing or
easing of relations]. Following [Mexico's] retaliation in the conflict over the
truckers - of course we knew that the arrival of a Democrat in the White House
would embolden U.S. unions - both the governments need to restore a common
dialogue. Patriotic declarations are of no use in such a critical situation - except
of course if one is seeking purely electoral advantage. If that's the case, then
yes, talking about the United States as though it were the “black beast of the
neighborhood,” can pay juicy dividends.

Unfortunately, the state of Mexico's political climate represents
a grave risk not only to its relationship with the United States, but also for the
immediate progress of our domestic agenda. In recent days, Mexicans have witnessed
the worst of our national politics. A little over three months before the July
5 elections, the Institutional
Revolutionary Party [PRI] and the National
Action Party [PAN] have decided that the best way to inform the public, and
more importantly, make themselves indispensible to the country, is to throw
stones like adolescents. Thus, according to the more pugilistic PRI, Calderon must
“get tough,” while German
Martinez [a PAN official] is a “midget looking for a fight.” PAN isn’t far
behind.

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

The provocation by PAN's president during the Acapulco Banking
Convention had the goal of pressuring the PRI to approve reforms in the area of
security, but it was also a "hook" for election day. No one in their
right mind would expect two political parties entangled in a complicated
political battle to comport themselves like fine young ladies. But from there
to endorsing and benefitting from paralysis is a long way to walk. The duty of the
legislature is to work by and for the voters. The political class must take
great care: if it allows its solipsism to become autism, it risks the collapse
of its fragile covenant with the citizenry. If that happens, watch out: non-participation
at the polls will be the least of concerns.